Do you believe in love at first sight? Maybe you should.

Dyke-a-likes, dyke-clones, “The Merge,” are all ways to describe a well-known lesbian phenomenon in which couples have the uncanny tendency to look like one another. Some blame it on wardrobe sharing, parroting behaviour or just plain old-fashioned narcissism.

But as it turns out, there may be more than a shared dress code drawing you to potential mates. According to Christina Bloom, creator of Find Your Face Mate, facial feature similarity between couples is what lights that initial spark of attraction.

“When we meet someone, we usually say, ‘I met this great guy or I met this great girl,” says Bloom. “The thing is, you liked her personality because you liked her face.”

FaceMate is a scientific and research-based online dating site for singles. The technology scans a photo that you upload and it marks 67 points on the face and matches them to other pictures uploaded to the “face base.”

Bloom happened upon this concept when she started dating someone after ending her marriage. “People were telling us that we looked so similar. We had the same colouring and it made the similar structures of the face easier to see. There began my fascination and that was 20 years ago.”

And while the Internet has offered more options through which to meet a partner, dating itself is no easier than before. Bloom hopes to help people find their special someone by spreading awareness about how to approach love. With 60,000 members worldwide already, FaceMate is enthusiastically looking to build the face base.

This concept is especially suited to lesbians because facial similarity is easier to determine in same-sex couples. When was the last time you really looked at Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi and saw only their differences?

“Look at Christine Quinn and her partner,” adds Bloom. “They look exactly alike.”

After the initial facial feature match, FaceMate looks at style, values and personality compatibility—all of which are essential in a strong and healthy relationship.

“People have to be more giving and listen to each other,” says Bloom. “It’s a give and takes. As you get older, this is the person you are going to have to rely on and so that strong foundation needs to be there.”

Still sceptical? Joining the face base is free, so why not give it a try? “People complain about online dating and I agree, it’s not great,” says Bloom. “But…with online dating, there is a number of people narrowed down and what difference does it make if it gets you to the person that you love? You’re going to get the romance once you get the person.”